EU advisory group calls for less red tape

Senior Editor

Today an influential group of independent advisers to the European Commission published their report on ways to reform the law-making process in Brussels. The group called on the Commission to introduce an offsetting system for new European legislation, where any new regulatory burdens are offset by cuts in red tape elsewhere, similar to the system that already exists in the UK.

As well as making recommendations to the European Commission, the group also made recommendations to the European Institutions as well as to the individual countries that make up the EU.

Commenting on the report, Michael Gibbons OBE, member of the High Level Group on Administrative Burdens and Chair of the UK’s Regulatory Policy Committee highlighted the need for more work to be done at the European level:

'The European Commission has done much to alleviate the unnecessary burden of regulation on Europe’s businesses, but, there is still much more to be done The report argues especially for improved processes for consultation with all stakeholders, and an independent scrutiny body in order to raise the quality of assessments of the impacts on society, including business, consumers and the economy.

'The next Commission needs to move forward with an ever challenging programme of opportunities to remove unnecessary red tape and play a significant role in promoting the prosperity of Europe.'